Hailing from Portland, OR,
Birddog is a project masterminded by Bill Santen and recorded with a shifting cast of friends who offer their talents as they drift in and out of the studio. Past efforts have boasted appearances from the likes of
Elliott Smith and
Edith Frost; this time around
Sebadoh mainstay
Jason Loewenstein pops up for
Songs from Willipa Bay.
Birddog specializes in the sort of rainy-day acoustic pop songs that artists like
Tobin Sprout (ex-
Guided by Voices) and
Bill Fox (
the Mice) do so well. This is shown especially well on album-openers "$100" and "The Play." The melancholy is always present, but not overpowering or flashy. Shades of
Neil Young,
Brian Wilson, and
the Palace Brothers work their way into the mix occasionally. Thankfully, "Red Red Wine" isn't the
UB40 nightmare its title conjures. Instead, it's an almost nautical journey of acoustic guitars and
Orchestraville/
Built to Spill-esque winding guitar lines leading up to the
Modest Mouse musical and vocal undertones of "The Cities." An album highlight, on "The Cities" Santen's voice adopts some of the flattering aspects of
Isaac Brock's squeaky, faux high lonesome drawl. Though it never erupts into the manic explosions
Brock is prone to, the song boasts a pensive melody and stark lyrics ("Where has the time gone?/Never seen the ocean/Winter's getting warmer/Goodbye's getting shorter"). At seven songs, Songs From Willipa Bay's biggest shortcoming is its brevity. Then again, there is something to be said for not wearing out your welcome, and leaving the audience wanting more. A beautiful record,
Birddog's latest deserves to get press that reaches beyond merely acknowledging the
Loewenstein connection and praises
Birddog for its talent.